National Report: UNC’s School of Special Education Responds to Shortages

The University of Northern Colorado's School of Special Education was recognized for preparing "high-quality special educators in significant numbers" in a study conducted by the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education.

In the report, "The Changing Teacher Preparation Profession," AACTE acknowledges UNC for responding to the high-need field through recruitment strategies, which include strong relationships with area school districts, and for providing "ample support" for teacher candidate throughout the program.

"One way the school has strengthened the support it provides candidates is through its use of an ‘early warning system' to identify early on those teacher candidates struggling in the program and to develop professional improvement plans to support them," the report stated.

The note on UNC appears in the report's findings that "teacher production shortages persist in key areas" — specifically, English language acquisition, mathematics, science and special education. Among the findings, the report recommends:

Better alignment between teacher production and workforce needs

Improving induction programs and working conditions to ensure that highly trained professionals remain the teaching field

For more information, including key findings of the report, visit the AACTE website.